New Book Releases for January 2016

Welcome to a new year. 2016 is set to be an exciting year for new books and new authors. Here is my list of titles to check out for January 2016. Click on the book covers for full reviews.

Young Adult Fiction


FirstsFirsts – Laurie Elizabeth Flynn – St. Martin’s Griffin – Published 5 January 2016

What a book. It’s like a car crash, crossed with an erupting volcano, crossed with a (insert disaster of your choice here). I knew it would be messy and upsetting, but I couldn’t look away. And yet, Firsts manages to pull it off. I was really hoping for a beautiful ending that would make the agony of the rest of the book worth it. And I’m very happy to say I think I got that ending.  Full Review.

Young adult fiction: contemporary.


Impostor QueenThe Impostor Queen – Sarah Fine – Margaret McElderry Books – Published 5 January 2016

A solid fantasy, The Impostor Queens brings together a balance of magic, romance and action.

When Elli was just four years old she was chosen to be the girl who would become queen. But when the queen dies, the magic does not rush into Elli like it should. The priests are desperate for a ruler and threaten Elli’s very existence in their efforts to make her magic manifest. Scared, Elli runs, leaving the opulence of the temple for the harsh reality of life outside the city.     Full review.

Young adult fiction: fantasy


UnderwaterUnderwater – Marisa Reichardt – Farrar, Straus & Giroux – Published 12 January 2016

Morgan didn’t mean to do anything wrong that day. Actually, she meant to do something right. But her kind act inadvertently played a role in a deadly tragedy. In order to move on, Morgan must learn to forgive—first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then, herself. 

This book is receiving some great reviews, so it’s definitely on my to-read list.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.


 

The Distance from A to ZThe Distance from A to Z – Natalie Blitt – HarperCollins – Published 12 January 2016

Seventeen-year old Abby has only one goal for her summer: to make sure she is fluent in French—well, that, and to get as far away from baseball and her Cubs-obsessed family as possible. A summer of culture and language, with no sports in sight.

That turns out to be impossible, though, because her French partner is the exact kind of boy she was hoping to avoid. Eight weeks. 120 hours of class. 80 hours of conversation practice with someone who seems to exclusively wear baseball caps and jerseys.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.


 

Shade MeShade Me – Jennifer Brown – Katherine Tegen Books – Published 19 January 2016
Shade Me is an intriguing mystery. The suspense starts from the very first page and only increases until you reach the dramatic ending. There are fights, clues, scary night scenes, a whole host of suspicious characters and a fierce, independent main character who can more than hold her own.   

Young adult fiction: Mystery.


9781760371784Night Study – Maria V. Snyder – Mira/Harlequin Teen – Published 26 January 2016

Epic, heart-stopping and so much fun, this next instalment in the Study series is just as awesome as all the other Study books, and yet the romance, tension and plots just keep building.

Night Study picks up exactly where Shadow Study left off with Yelena revealing her big news to Valek. Yelana still does not have her magic and the danger in both Ixia and Sitia is mounting. It is up to Valek, Yelana and their friends to uncover the extent of what threatens their futures.  Full review.

Young adult fiction: fantasy.


The Year We Fell ApartThe Year We Fell Apart – Emily Martin – Simon Pulse – Published 26 January 2016
The Year We Fell Apart might be more aptly titled The Year We Imploded and The Summer We Tried To Fix Everything. It is a sad story of a girl’s mistakes, insecurity and grief, as she wrestles with her past while trying to right her future.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.


The Love that Split the WorldThe Love That Split The World – Emily Henry- Razorbill – Published 26 January 2016
Clever, frustrating, sad and charming, The Love That Split the World is an epic story. It is Natalie Cleary’s last summer in her home town of Union, Kentucky, before she leaves for college. Throughout her childhood she saw and spoke to people no one else could see. It was the sudden absence of these people, particularly the loveable ‘Grandmother’, that changed her life. But when Nat once again starts to see things that ‘aren’t there’ and Grandmother returns to issue a warning “You have three months to save him”, things get complicated, fast, especially when she meets the gorgeous and mysterious Beau who seems to exist as if in another world.  Full review.

Young adult fiction: Science-fiction.


Christian Fiction


9780800724535Thin Ice – Irene Hannon – Revell – Published 5 January 2016

Thin Ice starts with the night Christy Reed’s heart is torn apart. Again. Losing her sister in a fire only months after losing her parents in a car crash is a hard thing to cope with. But two months later she receives a note addressed in her sister’s handwriting suggesting her sister did not die in her house fire but was instead kidnapped. Christy reaches out to the FBI and is connected with Lance McGregor, FBI newbie and ex-Delta Force operator. The first time Christy and Lance meet there is an instant, low level hum of attraction. I loved the way they connect and interact, but while their slowly growing feelings can’t be denied, the case must remain their focus.    Full review.

Adult fiction: Christian suspense.


Where She BelongsWhere She Belongs – Johnnie Alexander – Revell – Published 5 January 2016

Shelby has always dreamed of returning to her family home, Misty Willows, which was taken from her family many years ago. Now she has managed to lease the homestead from AJ Sullivan, grandson of the man responsible for her losing the farm in the first place and someone she is determined to avoid and dislike.    Full review.

Adult fiction: Christian contemporary.


 

Keeper of the StarsKeeper of the Stars – Robin Lee Hatcher – Revell – Published 5 January 2016

Penny Cartwright found it difficult to understand why her younger brother would choose to join a country singer’s band rather than return to Kings Meadow after college . . . and the separation strained their relationship. Then a car accident made certain her brother could never return.

Trevor Reynolds has chased stardom in Nashville for more than a dozen years, but it remains out of his reach. After an accident kills his young drummer, Trevor goes to Kings Meadow to keep a promise—and perhaps to discover what truly matters in this life.

Adult fiction: Christian contemporary.


←December 2015 New Releases